The Empress: Subtle Strategy
by IvyXLacrimosa
Summary: Akashi Seijῡrō: the Teikou Basketball captain . He ruled, he was feared, and he was respected . Yes, he was the Emperor but the throne gets lonely . Then, an Empress stepped forward, oblivious to her own influence . The game begins . • Akashi X OC Teikou Days •
1. Chapter 1: Chance Encounters

**Story Adopted from BeautifulNightView on Wattpad**

Loneliness was something Aizawa Kimiko knew all too well. Starting over with a broken family and a lack of friends is never easy, especially in a new town and school. Her solace is her art, the only thing that has stayed with Aizawa her entire life.

Aizawa Kimiko: short, indigo hair, and a keen eye. Behind the polite façade and friendly attitude, lies a girl who works to survive and wants nothing more than for her mother to stay away. Secrets and schemes are just under the surface.

Loneliness was something Akashi Seijῡrō knew all too well, but Teikou Middle School was just something he hoped would fill that lonely place in his heart and for a while, it did. Yet power comes with a price. As he rose to the top, he lost what he'd finally had a grasp on: a chance to bond with others.

Akashi Seijῡrō: the Teikou Basketball captain. He ruled, he was feared, and he was respected. Yes, he was the Emperor but the throne gets lonely. Then, an Empress stepped forward, oblivious to her own influence.

The game begins. Lucky for Akashi, this game continues whether he loses or wins, so second chances at victory will always appear. He'll need every chance he can get to figure out the mystery that is Aizawa Kimiko.

_**Chapter One: Chance Encounters**_

_Aizawa Kimiko: [_藍沢 后子_] When using these specific kanji, Aizawa translates to 'Indigo Swamp', and Kimiko translates to 'Empress Child'. Aizawa can also mean 'Fellow Swamp', though both meanings have different ways of being written. Similarly, Kimiko can also mean 'Child without Equal', 'Upright' or 'Righteous'. The ending '-ko' simply translates to 'child' and it is usually a suffix on Japanese female names._

* * *

It was an inevitable horror that she would've had to face eventually, and she'd known that. Yet standing at the gate to her new school, the idea became more and more daunting.

Teikou Junior High was large and intimidating, and the incoming first year students bustled around like a swarm of bees. Booths proclaiming the wonders of Teikou's many clubs littered the schools entrance, and excitement and energy formed an overwhelming atmosphere. Nervous uneasy made her steps falter, but with no choice but to continue on she started into the fray.

She just couldn't share their excitement, since the apprehension and nerves she felt were starting to make her palms sweat. She thought of some of her friends from her former school, and she wondered if their excitement had turned into nerves too. If they hadn't felt nerves, it was likely because some of her old friends were too boy-crazed to realize the overwhelming pressure that came with entering middle school.

Unsurprisingly, the largest group of incoming students surrounded the table that advertised Teikou's basketball club. Young boys all heights and hair colors littered the group. It was unsurprising, as over the past few years, the clubs infamous reputation as a national powerhouse had only grown.

A perplexed and amused expression crossed her face at the sight of several giants among the thirteen year old students. Flashes of bright purple hair, a hint of blue, and an array of more dull colors dotted the group, and the girl played with her own bright hair, relieved that it wasn't as flashy as she thought.

When your hair was the color of ink, a dark, murky sort of purple, you drew a lot of attention toward yourself. It didn't help that she was short too, even by Japanese standards. She was just thankful that she wasn't as short as her mother otherwise she'd look really out of place among naturally dark hair and average stature.

Pulling her gaze away from the infamous and powerful basketball club, she continued her walk through the crowd. Eventually, her eyes caught on the object of her fixation: the stand for the Society of Young Artists. She shuffled faster through the crowd, excitement finally breaking through her nerves.

For a while, she hadn't thought Teikou would contain the national art club, due to their focus on the sports clubs. She'd been pleasantly surprised then, when, along with her list of classes, and map of the school, she'd been given a list of the clubs within Teikou Junior High. Seeing the booth only made dreams come true for her.

The beaming smile wouldn't leave her face as she came to a stop in front of the stand. The senior students running it smiled lightly at her enthusiasm. She really could care less.

"I see you're interested in our club," the boy on the other side of the table said, sliding forward a clipboard and a pen. A list of names, some elegantly scrawled, others simply scratchy, littered the paper. "May I ask your name?"

Picking up the pen, the girl began to write. "Aizawa Kimiko," she greeted, finishing her looping signature. It was hard to tell what she'd written unless you actually knew what to look for. She put the cap back on the pen and shook the hands of the seniors at the booth.

"Welcome to Teikou's branch of SOYA."

By the time Aizawa learned the location of the art's clubroom, many of the students were also finishing up their club registering. Several were panicking and rushing back and forth, the unfortunate souls that were still undecided.

Either way, the tide of people was pushing and pulling the young girl around forcefully, making her stumble. No matter how much she tried to right herself and make her way to a safer spot to walk, she couldn't seem to fight past the edge of the crowd.

Eventually, a rather violent show pushed her into a wall. Or at least, it felt like a wall. Upon brushing the hair out of her eyes, Aizawa looked up, blinking at the giant boy in front of her. He was at least thirty centimeters taller than her, and more than twice her width.

Her wide gaze took in something even odder than his size. He had brightly colored hair, a light sort of purple that was even more unnatural than her dark purple locks. A hint of relief mixed with her awe, and Aizawa released a shaky breath. She'd never seen a middle school student that was so tall.

He bent over, hand reaching toward the ground, and her gaze followed his movement. On the ground was an open bag of chips, and luckily, only a few dotted the ground. The boy's large hand scooped up the bag, and his other collected the chips off the ground.

"Eh, I'm not sure…" Her words were unimportant by the time they'd left her lips, as the purple haired boy had stuffed the fallen food in his mouth. He chewed quietly as he rose to his full height and stared down at her. He seemed unaffected by the fact that he had just eaten food off the ground.

"Hmm?" He questioned, and his dark eyes were lazy as he shoved another handful of chips into his mouth. He waited patiently for her to continue.

Aizawa backtracked; she ran a hand through her hair was she tried to think of what to say. The penetrating gaze was unnerving her, and finally, she sighed. "Sorry for running into you," she muttered, "This crowd is crazy."

"Hm, no problem," the boy answered, seeming unperturbed by the situation. "You were the one who got pushed around, tiny girl." Aizawa's brow twitched at the words _tiny girl_. She may be small, but the fact that he pointed it out so simply irritated her for some reason.

"Aizawa," she inserted, holding out a hand in an attempt to be amiable. She smiled when the boy lightly shook her hand, stuffing the empty chip bag into the pocket of his jacket. Half undone, the clothing added to the lazy demeanor that radiated from him.

"Murasakibara," he replied blankly, pulling his hand back. No sooner had the chip bag disappeared when a candy bar was fished out of his pocket. He peeled the wrapper off with an ease that came with practice, and took a bite.

At this point, Aizawa was attempting not to laugh. Coincidence or not, the fact that his name hinted at his hair color, and the boy's outrageous personality, she could barely contain her amusement. Her shoulders shook with silent chuckles.

His head tilted to the side as he observed her. "Why are you laughing, Ai-chin?" His words silenced her giggles, as that reminded her of one important fact: her name also hinted at her hair color. Her face dropped.

"Nothing," she replied with a sigh, turning and straightening out her shirt. Looking around, Aizawa noticed the slowly dwindling group first-years outside the school.

"We should probably head inside," Murasakibara drawled, starting toward the building without her. Aizawa hurried after him, only to pause when the slamming of a door caught her attention. She turned toward Teikou's gates, blinking at the long car situated there.

More specifically, she was gaping at the _limo_ that was sitting right outside the school. Near the open car door stood a man dressed in a suit, and he leaned over as if he was saying something to the car's occupant.

Eventually, someone stepped out of the car, but from where she stood, all Aizawa could see was bright red hair. _Teikou is full of colorful people_, she thought, amused at the two meanings her musings could have.

She ran into something again, and that dragged her thoughts away from the people she'd seen so far. Aizawa had run into Murasakibara again, and the boy looked down at her with a brow raised. At that point, everyone was crowded around Teikou's entrance, and people were bumping into each other again, whispering and chatting about the club they'd chosen.

"Are you following me, Ai-chin?" He asked, and she noticed the nickname again, though for some reason it brought a smile to her face. As Murasakibara shuffled forward through the crowd, Aizawa noticed the way the other students parted for the tall first-year as he moved. Her eyes brightened, and she stepped closer, shadowing the boy.

"Maybe," she replied, sighing in relief when the pushing ceased. Despite the odd girl clinging to him, Murasakibara seemed unfazed, and merely patted her head once, as if giving consent to her. As they made their way into the school, Aizawa tried to make conversation with the quiet boy.

"What club did you join, Murasakibara-kun?" He looked down at her, finishing his mouthful politely before he replied. The act contrasted so strongly with the eating food off the ground that Aizawa was pleasantly surprised.

"The basketball club," he told her simply. Pursing her lips, Aizawa couldn't hide the fact that she was expecting something like that. The fact that he was a giant probably made his decision an easy one. "How about you?" he asked, continuing the conversation.

"I joined SOYA," she told him, "Though I was surprised that Teikou had one to begin with, what with the focus on basketball." She hesitated at the end, though the purple haired boy shrugged to say he didn't really mind.

"What is SOYA?" Murasakibara asked, digging around in his pockets. More food was pulled out, and Aizawa wondered how much he had stashed on his person. As they began to walk through the school, more people bumped into her. A flash of blue and a quiet apology sounded behind her, but when she turned to reply, no one was there.

She turned her attention back to Murasakibara. "Society of Young Artists," she answered, gazing around. It was then that she noticed where they were. "We passed my classroom!" She gasped, letting go of Murasakibara's arm. The boy stopped, glancing at the panicking girl.

"The gym is down this way," he told her, pointing. It was his way of saying 'bye' apparently, since he turned down the hall and continued on his way. He waved at her after he was partway down the hall though, and Aizawa smiled a little.

Like all first-years, they split up to head to their respective clubs during the first part of the day, learning the ropes and what being in their club would entail. Some would switch, others would thrive. That was just how middle school went.

Aizawa's nerves were quelled at the thought of having a friend within the school though. Over the past weeks, she'd been thinking of how hard it was going to be to find friends in a new school, since many people knew at least _someone _from their new schools.

She was an exception.

_That's what you get for moving across Tokyo, _a voice in her head mumbled, and Aizawa sighed, turning to find her clubroom. She erased those thoughts with ones of the tall boy she had literally run into. Coincidence or not, she was thankful she'd managed to talk to someone today.

The next bit of her day was taken up by art, as the students that had joined SOYA were put to the test. Each was asked to do a simple sketch as their 'audition' of sorts, and she was absorbed by the paper as she always was. Her pencil seemed to move on its own, and her eyes watched the picture come to life.

By the time the club period was over, the club advisor was handing out papers to many of the students in the room. When the quiet woman had made her way over to Aizawa, a small smile had bloomed on her face.

"Here's your permission form," the woman said, giving the indigo haired girl the simple piece of paper that would give her a place in Teikou's SOYA. Aizawa beamed, and the advisor grinned back. "You have very good potential, Aizawa, better than most of the new students. I look forward to having you in the club, and that form will be due this Wednesday."

Nodding, the dark haired woman walked off, handing out more forms to the students deemed worthy of the club. The bell ran, and students filtered out, many of them happily conversing with their new classmates. Aizawa sighed as she walked out into the hall, unsure of what to do next. As the art club members dispersed into the hallway, murmurs reached her ears.

"Did you here? Apparently four first-years were asked to practice with the first string!"

"Really? That's amazing! They must be some sort of geniuses!"

Aizawa's thoughts brightened when she thought of her friend, and she jogged off into the crowd, folding up the piece of paper and sliding it into her schoolbag. A smile brightened her face as she thought of her tall friend.

"He had to have been one of those geniuses," she muttered, heading toward the gym Murasakibara had indicated earlier. Earlier, it had been brought to Aizawa's attention that Teikou had _multiple_ gyms, most of which she assumed were for basketball.

When she managed to get to the gym, a large group of people stood between her and the boy she was looking for. Many were congratulating the group of boys who had been deemed worthy of Teikou's first string, and the awe in their voices and the tingling excitement in the air was contagious.

Upon seeing a glimpse of purple above the heads of the crowd, Aizawa began her trek through the bustling crowd. It was only her first day, but she was already beginning to get irritated at the amount of people wherever she went.

Halfway through, she was tripped up by someone's foot, and she stumbled forward. "Sorry," she whispered to the person who had caught her during her tumble, eyes refocusing on Murasakibara. "Thank you for catching me."

She saw a glimmer of red out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to see the redhead from earlier disappearing into the crowd, which parted for the shorter boy as if he was as tall as her friend. "Huh," she sighed, curiousity growing.

At this point, the giant had spotted her, and was walking easily toward her. She decided to not take any chances, and waited for him to walk over to her. For once, he wasn't eating anything, and she doubted he could hide any sort of food in the basketball shorts and t-shirt he wore.

"What are you doing here, Ai-chin?" Murasakibara asked, yawning a little. He covered his mouth with his hand, and for some reason, his odd form of manners amused her to no end.

"Well," she started, "I heard about a couple first-years getting asked to play with the first string, and I thought you might have been one of them." He nodded to confirm her suspicions, and she smiled at him. "Congratulations, Murasakibara-kun."

A small smile curled his lips, looking tired, and his eyes wandered as he patted her on the head. Her face turned thoughtful as she stared at him, eventually, he noticed and waited quietly for her to speak.

Steeling her nerves, Aizawa took a deep breath. "Do you… maybe want to eat lunch with me?" She asked, biting her lip as she waited to hear the dreaded answer. The purple haired boy blinked as if he was surprised, and then he shrugged.

"Sure."

Aizawa didn't hold back the bright smile that curled her lips, and she followed Murasakibara as he made a path out into the hall. He watched her closely, and suddenly was eating a candy bar. She honestly didn't know where it had come from, but she didn't really care.

"Ai-chin, you are weird," he stated, but the way he said it made it seem like he meant it in a good way. Aizawa blinked, and smiled again.

"Thanks, Bara-kun, but you're pretty weird too," she replied, and the purple haired boy finished his candy silently as they walked. For some reason Aizawa was immensely relieved that her first day had gone without a hitch so far.

Making a friend was just an added bonus for her.

* * *

**_A/N:_**What can I say? Kuroko's Basket is growing on me again, especially with Naruto's issues... I'm sure more KnB will come... hell, I'm already planning more KnB stories.

As stated at the top this story was adopted from BeautifulNightView on wattpad. search the name if you aren't sure, and you'll be told I have permission for this, and she was going to delete it...

No Beta Reader. I'm still looking for one, so if you're interested, message me. Please.

On with the basketball!


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting and Returning

**Chapter Two: Meeting and Returning**

* * *

As far as first days went, Aizawa's had been pretty good. Her classes, many of which had been Advanced Placement classes, had gone smoothly, and, other than a few glances at her unusual hair color, she sailed through meeting her teachers. Lunch with Murasakibara had been an adventure, but the more she talked with the boy, the more she got along with him.

He was just easy to talk to, despite the general laziness and the fact that he truly was a man of few words. His sense of humor was a little dry and mocking, but for the most part, he merely listened, smiled, and commented quietly as she told him about her acceptance into SOYA.

The fact that she had someone to look forward to seeing made getting up the next morning easier. The light through her window seemed kinder, and the cold floor seemed less stinging. Her eyes weren't heavy, and she honestly felt as if she'd already been awake for hours.

She'd quickly eaten breakfast, moving through the small apartment easily. Aizawa had gotten used to hurrying through her home in the morning without waking up its other occupant. When she'd put on her Teikou uniform and made sure her bag had everything she needed, she went to the other bedroom next to hers.

"Grandpa?" She murmured quietly, knocking twice before opening the door. The minute she entered the room, her earlier good mood was slightly diminished. Her chest ached as she walked over to the bedside and let her fingers sort through the medicine bottles by the bed. "You need to get up and take your medication."

The body in the bed rolled over slowly, seeming to be extremely stiff. Aizawa winced when she heard the cracking of joints, and avoided watching her grandfather roll over as she sorted through the medication he had to take. She let her hair hide her face when his dark eyes studied her.

The room held an air of grief in it that the indigo haired girl knew would never fade. It was something that had plagued her grandfather for several years, ever since the death of his wife and son in an accident. Terms like post-traumatic stress disorder, and survivor's guilt had been tossed around by doctors and psychiatrists that had tried to help.

All Aizawa saw was a man who could barely walk, ridden with the guilt of his only child and wife's deaths. If she was in his place, she'd had likely felt the same way. Still, the situation was something that brought back grim thoughts at every turn. Memories of quiet funerals and long hours spent thinking plagued the both of them, but Aizawa knew she didn't have it as bad as he did, even though she'd lost her grandmother and father.

She left for a moment to grab a glass of water, and hurried back to his bedside. Handing him the glass and a handful of pills, she watched carefully as he downed them with shaky hands and slow swallows. He handed her the glass silently, glazed, dark eyes sleepy, and thanked her softly.

Nodding, she hurried to make sure there was some sort of food in the fridge if he wandered down to the kitchen at any point that day. Leftovers littered the fridge, and she nodded if relief as she took him his breakfast.

Once she made sure he'd have everything he needed, Aizawa made note of what she'd need to get at the market that afternoon. It was her day to work in popular little bakery downtown, and Aizawa was thankful that her old friend Izumi had gotten her the job. The money her mother sent wasn't always enough. Still though, it was hard to explain a thirteen year old looking for work.

"Goodbye, Papa," she called out, bag over her shoulder and a second jacket around her shoulders. The early spring air was crisp, and she took a deep breath as she stepped outside. The fresh air cleared the tightness in her chest as she closed the door, and she wiped her hands on her skirt.

Her morning on the way to school was going to be uneventful all year, and she resigned herself to quiet walks and a bus ride that she'd have to endure every morning. Still, she was at the school within the hour, even if she was just a little too late for her liking.

Shifting her bag onto her shoulder more comfortably, she paused when the sound of a car came from behind her. Aizawa paused, turning where she stood at the gates to observe a familiar limo coming to a smooth stop behind her. The car gleamed in the early morning sun, intimidating and grand.

Before the driver could get out to come open the door, the boy in the backseat opened it on his own. The chauffeur's protests were silenced by the boy who had familiar bright red hair. Aizawa blinked as she met the dark red eyes of the boy she'd ran into the day before.

"You caught me the day before when I tripped, right?" She asked after a moment of awkward silence. The driver of the limo frowned at her before the boy lightly shut the door and waved him away. As the vehicle pulled away from the front of the school, the redhead came to stand by her. He, like everyone else she'd met, had at least fifteen centimeters on her.

When he nodded to answer her question, she laughed nervously, slightly unnerved by his calm face and smooth expression. "Crowds and I don't really get along, and I don't think we ever will. Thank you for that though; I hope I didn't seem rude yesterday."

He shook his head, holding out his hand in a gesture that she thought only she did anymore. The act of politeness relieved some of her nerves, and she smiled lightly. "It is no bother," he answered, shaking her hand gently. "The amount of people yesterday was a bit ridiculous."

"Hm," she agreed, turning to look at the school over her shoulder. By the looks of it, many students were still bustling about outside. "I don't think I know your name," she realized suddenly, searching through her memories and finding nothing, "I'm Aizawa Kimiko."

"Akashi Seijῡrō," he told her good-naturedly, waving for her to follow as he started walking. They fell into step easily, and any nerves Aizawa had felt at thanking the boy vanished instantly. There was something about his quiet demeanor that was different from Murasakibara, it was almost… hopeful.

"You seemed like you were in a hurry to get through that crowd yesterday," Akashi observed, and she sensed his curiousity in the quiet observation. Aizawa laughed, running a hand through her hair as she shook her head.

"I was going to see if a friend of mine was one of the four first-years that made it onto first string. I was going to congratulate him, but half the school beat me to it." She rolled her eyes, and for the first time, a small smile curled the boy's lips. Something about it was sincere enough to make her own lips curl.

"Your friend?" He asked, adjusting his own bag. The longer she looked at Akashi, the more refined he seemed, from the perfect posture to the high cheekbones and smooth skin. It was as unusual as it was refreshing for her to see someone who had obviously been raised to be polite.

"Ah, Murasakibara-kun," she clarified, watching as his eyes lit up with recognition. Seeing the recognition in his gaze, Aizawa asked a question that had surfaced. "Do you know him?"

Though his smile had faded, there was a light in his eyes that told Aizawa that he was amused. "I am on the basketball team as well, Aizawa-san," He told her, and she blinked before frowning.

"All of you first year geniuses," she muttered, pursing her lips. "Too tall," she muttered, sneaking a sideways glance at him while they continued to walk. It was comfortable, as well as unusual, but Aizawa couldn't help but feel happy at meeting someone else.

A soft snort escaped the boy, and he brushed his spiky hair away from his rather large eyes. "That is a bit extreme," he murmured, raising a thin brow at her.

"Four first-years made it onto Teikou's infamous first string basketball team," she stated, pointing a finger to the sky as if to accent her point. The dramatics of her statement made his brow rise further. "It is unprecedented, a '_generation of miracles_' if you will."

"That is a bit ridiculous," he repeated, lips twisting.

"Well," the indigo hair girl sighed, pausing as the reached Teikou's doors, "The bell is going to ring, so we'll have to continue this argument on a later date, Akashi-san." As if cued by her words, the bell rang, and the boy blinked as she turned and headed into the school to make it to her first class.

Unlike many students, kids within SOYA didn't have to take a separate extracurricular class, since it was a specialized art club. Murasakibara took a culinary class first period, much to her amusement, and there were several other classes offered to fill the gap needed in their curriculum. Because of this though, SOYA met in the mornings, when other students took their art classes.

Aizawa was alright with that though, since art was a way for her to relax and prepare for the day. Like a regular class would start easy and work their way up, the SOYA students were first taught the types of sketch styles and techniques. The last minutes were free practice.

Overall, it was a calming period, but, when students began to bring up forms that they'd had signed, the blood drained from her face. She knew she'd forgotten to have her grandfather sign the paper, but as she dug through her bag, she came to a horrible realization: she'd lost the paper altogether.

She let her head fall and bang lightly on the table as she groaned. The remainder of the period was spent thinking about where she might have lost the paper yesterday after she'd gotten it. Aizawa didn't want to have to go through the embarrassment of asking for a second sheet.

When the bell rang, she quickly ducked out the door before her teacher could inquire about her sheet. Even if it was due tomorrow, she seemed to be asking people if they'd brought it in.

Her next two periods before lunch were spent in slight depression, and she dug through her bag multiple times in a futile effort to find her permission form. During her literature class, she caught a glimpse of Akashi's bright red hair in the front row, but he was gone before she could talk to him.

At lunch, she met up with Murasakibara for the first time that morning.

"You seem down Ai-chin," the purple haired giant commented, pulling out a pile of food that made her sandwich seem like a snack. She blinked, still unnerved by the eating habits of her new friend. He began to eat as he waited for her to answer his unspoken question.

She could feel the stares on her as she played with the ends of her hair. "I showed up late to school," she started, holding up a finger and ticking off more as she continued. "I lost the permission form for SOYA, and everyone is staring at us."

A soft chuckle left the boy, and Aizawa pouted as she began to eat. He slid a candy bar across the table, and she looked at it in surprise. He continued eating as if he hadn't done anything, and Aizawa smiled lightly at her friend as she continued to eat her own lunch.

Other than the odd stares she received from sitting next to Murasakibara, lunch went rather good. They chatted happily, and Aizawa learned that Murasakibara was the center in basketball. Hearing him describe the sport to her, which she honestly knew little about, she could see the passion behind his half-lidded eyes.

As the lunch period came to an end, Murasakibara patted her on the head, and stuffed another empty wrapper in her pocket. "Hope you find your paper," he said, and then waved and continued on to his next class.

She was only a few steps down the hallway when a hand lightly tapped her shoulder. Turning in surprise, she blinked up at the familiar face of Akashi. He held out his hand, offering her something. Looking down, she noticed the crinkled piece of paper he was holding out to her.

"Ah, Akashi-san!" She gasped in surprise, and, taking the paper from him, she unwrinkled it a little bit so she could read it. When she realized what it was, she looked up at him with wide eyes. Her SOYA permission form, with her name scribbled already on the line, sat in her hands.

"I found it by the basketball gym yesterday in the crowd. I didn't realize it was yours until I met you this morning," he explained, nodding at the paper in her hands. Unlike Murasakibara, he wore the blazer that was a part of the uniform, though he left the white jacket unbuttoned. "I'd have given it to you earlier, but you left before I realized it was you."

"Ah, that's what happens when you're late, I suppose," Aizawa laughed a little, neatly tucking the paper into her bag and making sure that it wouldn't come out again. Patting the bag in relief, she smiled up at the redhead. "Thank you for finding it, I was worrying a lot about it."

He nodded, and then paused. "I've seen you in my classes, but isn't it a bit unusual for an honor student to be late?" It took her a moment to realize he was teasing her, and she bit back smile. His sense of humor was as odd and dry as Murasakibara's. She had a feeling he didn't joke much.

"You showed up late too you know," she replied lightly. "At least I was walking. You showed up late in a _limo, _and that wasn't ostentatious at all," she joked, and he smirked a bit. "I took a bus just to get on that street, though the limo seems more convenient," she pointed out dryly.

"Useful sometimes, bothersome others," he answered honestly, and she blinked as she took in what he said. "Do you walk to school all the time?" he asked.

"I don't live _that _far away," she responded, rolling her eyes. "Besides… my mom works, so she can't drive me," the half-truth slipped from her lips before she could stop it, and Akashi watched her closely. She looked away, brushing her hair in front of her eyes to hide her expression.

The bell rang, indicating that the next classes would start in a few minutes, and Aizawa turned around to face the redhead. The taller boy looked down at her quietly, red eyes curious and bright. "Thank you for finding my paper, Akashi-san," she said sincerely. "I'm not sure what I'd have done if you hadn't have found it."

"It was my pleasure, Aizawa-san." He nodded, turning away to continue to his next class, she watched him leave with an odd expression on her face that described her confusion and amusement pretty well.

The rest of her day was spent rather quietly. She still received looks for her oddly colored hair, but after meeting Murasakibara and even Akashi, she knew she wouldn't be the only one getting odd looks. After school ended, she went on her way to her job at the bakery across town.

She spent the rest of her day humming lightly under her breath, as she worked in the back of the store, taking inventory and helping the owner with the baking. With her form in her bag, and her day at school over, she was in a very good mood.

It didn't hurt that she'd managed to make another friend, even if he was another basketball player and she had only talked to him twice. After all, she hadn't expected to go to Teikou in the first place. It was just the way things had turned out, not that she minded at this point.

* * *

_**Stories to Come [Comment if you like]**_

_**Shadow [Kuroko's Basket] **__Kuroko X OC Angst Adventure_

For many, he was just a shadow, something to give the light shape and meaning. That was the role Kuroko Tetsuya had taken on, content to work without being seen. Yet past the misdirection was the potential for something great, pushed down far too long.

Buried in the past is a secret that he'd rather break free from, but it is the very thing holding him back from growing into what the shadow was _really _meant to be. It will be ghosts from the past that bring it all back and break down the walls.

_**Cage of Frost [Kuroko no Basket] **__Aomine X OC Romance Adventure Humor_

It wasn't some trick of the light or mystical mirage. Everything she did was planned and executed exactly. Any of the fire she'd had before was lost to the future she was forced to see: high-class business, and her family wasn't letting her waste any time with high school.

Things like basketball were gone, stolen from her and only enjoyed in quiet moments she shared with no one.

He came along without realizing it, interrupting an endless cycle and slowly pulling it apart. Sparks ignite, and the cage of frost around her begins to melt with a simple passion as broken as her own.

_**Golden Winter [Kuroko no Basket] **__Murasakibara X OC Adventure Humor Friendship_

It started with blank footsteps and an empty gaze. Buried beneath the snow was the potential for a golden dream and fiery gaze, only just out of reach. It started with silence, and it would end with it too.

Makoto Yume never stopped running, and never looked back. That went for both her life, and the thing that got her a spot on Yōsen's understated track team. Even before going into her first year, rumors of an excellent long distance runner spread, making some question why Yume chose to attend the school focused on basketball.

Not that she cared or knew, since she was too far ahead and too stubborn to turn and hear them.

**_There ya go! Like these ideas? Want to see them quicker? Voice Your Opinion!_**


	3. Chapter 3: Present & Past

Chapter Three: Present & Past

* * *

"You're scary when you draw, Ai-chin," Murasakibara pointed out during lunch, drawing the girl's attention away from her beloved sketchpad. It was now Thursday, but the ease at which the two friends interacted had gotten even easier, it that was possible.

"Scary?" She mouthed, raising a brow as she tried to understand what he was talking about. She blinked at her table, pursing her lips. Eventually, she tossed the pencil aside and crossed her arms. "What's so scary about me drawing?" She asked.

His head tilted to the side as if he was trying to think of what to say. As soon as he finished his second sandwich of the lunch period, he started to answer her question. "Your frown is really intense," he finally decided. "It's like you're trying to burn a hole through the paper, and your eyebrows are always scrunched up." His fingers pushed against each other tightly as if to demonstrate.

She picked her sketchpad off her lap, setting it neatly on the table and unwrapping the package of a pastry she'd brought home from work the other day. As she bit into the sweat tasting bread, she saw the boy's light eyes drift from her food to her drawing, and he blinked.

"You're very good, Ai-chin," Murasakibara said, reaching toward her book. She nodded when he hesitated as if to ask permission, and he picked it up and brought it closer. He lifted the page and turned it, looking through it slowly. He was considerate enough to stop eating as he did so, and Aizawa smiled.

He blinked once when he reached the last page, which was a project that she was doing as a part of SOYA. He looked up at her from under his shaggy hair, and handed her back the book. "Why are you drawing a skull?" He asked, continuing on with his lunch. He didn't seem perturbed in the least mentioning her drawing, almost as if he was talking about the weather.

"It is part of a club assignment: draw something that signifies a part of your life," she elaborated, though her cryptic reasoning for drawing a skull was only for her to know. The purple haired boy watched her eat as if he hadn't heard her at all, gaze blank and calm.

He hummed, unwrapping a piece of candy idly as his eyes wandered. People still stared at them, but unlike when Aizawa tried to scare them with her glare, whenever Murasakibara caught someone's gaze, they'd pale and shift away immediately. It was with indignation that she decided it was because she was short.

"Ai-chin said she works at the pastry shop that is downtown, right?" Murasakibara asked toward the end of their lunch period, having already finished his lunch and now helping her with hers despite the differences in quantity each of them had consumed.

"Yeah, I work there after school most days," she responded, pulling out a plastic container with the last bit of food in her lunch. He watched her quietly, and Aizawa couldn't hide the amusement she felt at watching him think.

"Is the food good?" His in-character words made her eyes roll and she set her chin in her palm as she smiled.

She lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, having to bite back a laugh. Popping open the little plastic box before her one handed, she pushed it toward him. She turned away from him for a second, to pull a plastic fork out of her lunchbox, and was forced to stretch painfully far—damn her short arms—to wave it under his nose to get his attention.

It only lasted a moment though, before he snatched the fork out of her hands with a quite reply and began eating the piece of cake she'd set out before him. She watched patiently as he took a bite of the chocolate cake, and bit her lip as his face brightened just a little bit.

"Is the food good?" She asked, raising a brow and repeating what he'd asked just moments before. His gaze flickered up to hers, and his smile turned a bit enigmatic.

He hummed, before proceeding to finish the rest of the cake. Aizawa sighed and shook her head, flipping open her sketchbook and starting her work again, still mindful of the dozens of eyes on them.

* * *

Her day was rather uneventful, all things considered, just like her week. Other than meeting one of the new star first-year basketball players and becoming friends with him, and running into another of said basketball players the next day. Still though, for her, it was uneventful, and she liked that.

The last class of the day for her a Biology class, well, was something else. It was only the second day having a full class, as club activities had slowed the first days down considerably, but now, she noticed two things.

The first thing that was brought to her attention was that the boy partnered with her yesterday was weirder than she'd first anticipated. Sure, he was pretty tall—though nowhere near Murasakibara—but most importantly, his hair was _green_. Aizawa wasn't one to judge, since her own hair was a purple that bordered on black, but she was starting to wonder how many colorful, and she meant that literally, people the school contained.

Looks aside, though she dully noted his taped fingers and black rimmed glasses, the boy who'd curtly introduced himself as Midorima Shintarō the day before, was just plain odd. His posture was perfect, stiff, and his attitude cold. These were things Aizawa knew how to deal with.

His certain… eccentricities on the other hand, she wasn't sure how to handle. Yesterday, he'd simply been using a rather colorful eraser—star shaped, if it made a difference—and Aizawa assumed he'd borrowed it from a female friend because he'd misplaced his own eraser. That was normal enough.

Today though, she realized Midorima was just naturally odd. After all, few people could walk into a room, take a seat next to someone they'd just met, and indifferently set a purple plastic fish on the table. It looked like a child's toy, something that would squirt out water from its lips if you pressed on it, and Aizawa looked at it blankly for a moment before glancing at her Biology partner in confusion.

He seemed oblivious, and since she didn't really need to know either way, she turned toward the front of the class. Just in time to meet a just as surprised red stare.

Akashi blinked at her once, as if not expecting her to be there, and when Aizawa raised her hand, he nodded in return before taking his seat. She really shouldn't have been so shocked, since she could have sworn she'd seen a head of red hair through the crowded classroom the day before.

There were still a few minutes before class would actually start, if their teacher ever showed up, and many students were still milling around. Aizawa simply stared awkwardly at the gaps between people, since other than Murasakibara, who was in a simple first level Biology class, Akashi was really the only person she'd talked to that week.

Still, it wasn't as if she could get up and just go talk to him, especially since a group of girls were eagerly walking to him, with animated hands and bright eyes. As she watched, he said something and the group laughed loudly, drawing a lot of attention to them.

Next to her, Midorima looked up from the book he'd been reading and snorted once before returning to the material. Aizawa flicked a gaze his way, smiling once in surprise before she was distracted by a finger tapping lightly on her shoulder.

Turning in her seat, the indigo haired girl plastered on a smile that she hoped didn't look fake or nervous. The girl standing behind her had dark brown hair and a pretty round face, and was looking at her curiously.

"Yes?" Aizawa asked politely, feeling a little bit uncomfortable at the gaze that was roaming over her. A confused look came over the girl's face, and Aizawa frowned.

"Is your name Aizawa?" The brown haired girl asked hesitantly, meeting Aizawa's eyes for the first time.

"Yes," the indigo haired girl responded warily, waiting to see what the girl in front of her actually wanted. Behind her, she heard the light closing of a book, and tensed as she felt Midorima's gaze shift to them.

"I could have sworn you were someone else," the girl sighed, scrubbing a hand through her hair and shaking her head. "When I heard the name Aizawa, and that she was short, I could have sworn it would have been that girl from my old school before I came here. Guess I was wrong."

"Old school?" Aizawa asked, butterflies weighed down with dread in her stomach. She discreetly wiped her wet palms on the skirt of her uniform before folding them back on her lap. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't loosen her shoulders.

"Yeah, back where I came from there was this girl named Aizawa, though I never really talked to her. Real short like you, though a little bit shorter actually, she had dark hair, dark eyes, and a weird haircut." Aizawa was thankful that the brown haired girl's attention was drawn to Akashi's group, because she was unable to hold back a flinch.

"I you were her I was just going to ask a question, but guess I was wrong." A hapless shrug was given, and the brown haired girl sighed. "Sorry for bothering you."

Aizawa shook her head, forcing her face into a mask of curiosity. "What were you going to ask, if I was her?" Keeping her eyes wide, and face blank, the indigo haired girl easily pulled off the innocent look.

Dark eyes blinked at her, and the first-year lifted a shoulder as her lips tilted into a sharp smirk. "Just how she hacked her way into AP classes since before she barely showed up to school, among other things at least."

Molding her features to something akin to horrified disbelief, Aizawa shook her head. "You've totally got the wrong girl. Never even seen you before," she joked, smiling at the girl before her.

Laughing, the brunette, nodded. "Yeah, same here. Sorry for confusing you with her, but hey, what can you do?" Nodding at each other, Aizawa turned back around in her chair and settled her elbow on the desk, leaning her chin into her palm. Around her the stragglers were making their way to their seats.

Scrubbing her hands through her hair, Aizawa shook her head and clenched her eyes shut, trying to ignore her own thoughts.

For several minutes, she stared blankly at the chalkboard at the front of the room, but her attention was drawn to her partner when he cleared his throat. Having almost entirely forgotten he was there, Aizawa jumped, eyes wide, and nearly tumbled off the back of her stool.

Chest heaving, the indigo haired girl studied Midorima with wide blue eyes, watching as he frowned in disapproval and readjusted his glasses. "What is it Midorima-san," she wheezed, voice squeaking from her earlier panic.

"What is your astronomical sign?" He asked bluntly, light, almost teal colored eyes studying her through his glasses.

Aizawa blinked once, "What?"

"Your astronomical sign," he repeated with a sigh, as if she were an incompetent child. "What is it?"

Still utterly confused, she mouthed his question again before hesitantly replying. "Um, Taurus?" It sounded like a question to her, as if she wasn't sure what she was answering, and honestly, she wasn't.

Midorima's lips pursed and he nodded to himself, turning to look at the front of the classroom without another word. The look on his face, something akin to knowing exasperation, merely confused the indigo haired girl more as she stared at him long after he looked away.

As the class started, with the teacher being a balding man wearing thick glasses and a too large white button up shirt, Aizawa held her temples in her palms as she stared the shinning table in front of her. Her expression was one of immense dismayed shock.

_What is wrong with these people?_

* * *

Humming lightly to herself, Aizawa quietly closed the door to her apartment behind her, making sure to do it quietly. Slipping off her shoes and setting her bag on the counter, the indigo haired girl walked down the hallway, thoughts on Teikou, and her grandfather, and her mother, and everything in between.

Reaching the door that was the only closed one, she knocked lightly, eyes locked on the dusty wood floors. She'd need to clean next weekend, she observed, as she entered the room.

The dust was especially bad as she entered the room, swirling around the air in heavy, musky motes. The only light came from the window on the opposite side of the wall, which was pushed open a crack, and letting streaming dusk light and a cool breeze enter the room.

Her grandfather was sitting up, staring out the window and watching as the dwindling cars meandered by, intervals erratic and unsettling. As she closed the door behind her, he looked her direction, seeming more awake than he has in months.

"Ah, you're home," he said, voice rough and hoarse from disuse. Clearing his throat and grimacing, he attempted a smile at her that seemed halfhearted.

"I didn't expect you to be awake, grandfather," Aizawa said in surprise, coming forward. Once again, she sorted through the bottles of medication by the bed, picking out a few and holding the bottles in her hands. "Is there something particular you'd like for dinner?" She asked.

"Whatever you make is fine, Kimiko," he said softly, brown eyes following her as she went over to the window and slid it shut one handed. A sighed escaped him, drawing her attention back to him, and she watched in puzzlement as he shook his head.

"What is it?" She asked, moving to the bedside to help him as he turned to swing his legs off the bed, legs rustling loudly in the sheets. When that was done, she moved to grab his old cane, which leaned against the wall on the other side of the nightstand.

"Your mother called this afternoon," he admitted, watching as her hands paused to pick up the cane and she turned to him in shock. "She's almost done with her work in America, but she was just calling in to check up on us."

_Translation: She'll be gone for another four weeks at least._

Shaking her head, Aizawa scooped up the cane that had been leaning innocently against the wall, and handed it to her grandfather, staring demurely out the window. "That's good," the indigo haired girl responded simply, letting the man use her hand and the cane as leverage to rise unsteadily to his feet.

Her grandfather clucked his tongue. "You and I both know Junko is a fickle woman, Kimiko. Give her time."

Surprise flooded across Aizawa's face as she watched him smile at her, _really smile_, for the first time in months. She smiled back tentatively in return, opening the door for him as he made his way to the hall. "Alright," she responded breathlessly, watching his back with wide, carefully hopeful eyes.

"Speaking of time," he said suddenly, having taken a seat by the table on his own. His eyes watched as Aizawa brought him a glass of water and a handful of pills, which he swallowed with ease. When he was finished he continued, "When do you think you'll have some?"

Aizawa blinked, having moved on to the fridge to grab what she'd need to make dinner that night. Leaning around the open door, she responded, "I don't have to work this weekend at all, since the bakery is closing for Takihara-san to take his family on vacation."

"Good," her grandfather said, drumming his fingers on the table lightly. "I feel the need to go outside this weekend. Would you like to do something with me this weekend?" The question was light, a suggestion subject to change, but Aizawa nearly beamed.

That night, long after her grandfather had gone to sleep, there was a new addition to the skull she'd been drawing for the SOYA assignment. Curling out from under the skull, flaring up from the empty eye socket, a beautiful, half-bloomed daisy had grown, energetic and eager.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow it's been a while. My bad. No internet, school, more random excuses…. Anyway, hoped you liked this chapter. From here on out, it begins to get into the plot, though there is still a bit of relationship development, GoM and Aizawa meeting, actual KnB basketball drama, and other things…. Hope you enjoyed this chapter though~


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